Environmental Groups Ready to Respond to Release of NYS DEC's Fracking Review

ALBANY, NY (06/30/2011)(readMedia)-- Environmental organizations working to protect New York's waters and communities from the dangers of industrial gas drilling by means of hydraulic fracturing or "fracking," will be on call this Friday, July 1, 2011, prepared to speak to the release of the Department of Environmental Conservation's (DEC) revised draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement (SGEIS).

According to a memo from Director of State Operations Howard Glaser, the Governor's office gave the agency a July 1, 2011 deadline to release the environmental impact statement. The organizations consider the first cut of the environmental review deeply flawed and have called on Governor Cuomo and the DEC to instead update the state's more than 30-year-old oil and gas mining regulations and put forth a strict regulatory framework for oil and gas drilling.

WHO:

Representatives from several of New York's environmental organizations will be ready to comment on the fracking guidelines:

Katherine Nadeau, Water and Natural Resources Program Director, Environmental Advocates of New York

Sarah Eckel, Legislative & Policy Director, Citizens Campaign for the Environment

Kate Sinding, Senior Attorney, Natural Resources Defense Council

Wes Gillingham, Program Director, Catskill Mountainkeeper

Kate Hudson, Watershed Program Director, Riverkeeper
WHAT:

The gas industry is eager to drill in New York State. Drilling companies propose to use industrial drilling called hydraulic fracturing or “fracking.” to extract natural gas. Tragedies due to un- and poorly regulated fracking—including flammable tap water in Colorado, methane explosions in West Virginia, and poisoned water in Pennsylvania—show what could happen to New York if state leaders put short-term gas profits ahead of the long-term health of our water and our communities.
WHEN: Friday July 01, 2011 at 12:00PM Eastern Time (US & Canada)
WHERE: Please call contacts to reach the spokespeople listed
New York
NOTES:

For more information:

Erica Ringewald, Environmental Advocates of New York (518) 210-9903 or eringewald@eany.org

Tina Posterli, Riverkeeper 516-526-9371, tposterli@riverkeeper.org

Sarah Eckel, Citizens Campaign for the Environment (202) 486-9007 or seckel@citizenscampaign.org

Wes Gillingham, Catskill Mountainkeeper, 845-901-1029, wes@catskillmountainkeeper.org